classiccarsfandomcom-20200223-history
Police Academy 6: City Under Siege
Police Academy 6: City Under Siege is a 1989 comedy crime film starring Bubba Smith, David Graf and Michael Winslow. It was directed by Peter Bonerz and written by Neal Israel, Pat Proft and Stephen Curwick. The film was given a PG rating for violence and language. Plot The police must investigate a series of robberies along a strip of land in the city. The Mayor (Kenneth Mars) assigns Captain Harris (G.W. Bailey) and Lt. Proctor (Lance Kinsey) to the case, but while on stakeout the Wilson gang, composed of Ace (Gerrit Graham), Flash (Brian Seeman), and Ox (Darwyn Swalve), manages to slip through their fingers. The Mayor wants Harris and Proctor to work with Commandant Lassard (George Gaynes) on apprehending the gang. Lassard assembles a seven-man team consisting of Hightower (Bubba Smith), Tackleberry (David Graf), Jones (Michael Winslow), Hooks (Marion Ramsey), Callahan (Leslie Easterbrook), Fackler (Bruce Mahler), and Lassard's nephew, Nick (Matt McCoy). After distributing flyers as to the information of the Wilson gang and getting nowhere, Nick stumbles upon a paper reporting an antique diamond heading to a museum, and gets an idea to use it as bait: however the robbers nab the diamond anyway by cutting a hole in the truck and escaping through the sewer system. Nick then decides to go undercover to get information regarding a possible hideout, but Harris decides to go undercover to get a confession. Despite his fear of heights, Harris goes undercover as a window washer at a tall building and gets a confession of himself on tape after Proctor accidentally knocks him over the balcony. The robberies are committed by a group of three dimwitted criminals who do not seem to be able to do this on their own, and it is revealed they are being guided by a literally shadow figure known as the "Mastermind", who speaks to the three behind a wall of glass and uses a voice distortion device. He devises a plan to get the cops out of the way. Commandant Lassard and his men are later suspended after jewelry from the gang's last robbery is found in Lassard's office, pending an investigation. The gang decides to clear his name by nabbing the gang and the ringleader. Accessing data files from a computer, Nick deduces that the robberies are occurring along a bus route, thus intentionally lower property values in that part of the city. They also learn that someone must be 'leaking' information to the bad guys, which is why they are always one step ahead of the Police Academy. The Police Academy force finds and does battle with the Wilson gang, taking down Ace, Flash, and Ox, while Nick chases the leader. A pursuit follows, which leads to Commissioner Hearst's (George Robertson) office. It is revealed that the Mayor is the "Mastermind" and that Captain Harris has been unwittingly leaking information during his daily meetings with the Mayor. Hearst apologizes and reinstates the force, and a plaque is given to honor the officers' bravery the next day. As the movie closes, Harris is sitting in a chair when a string tying the balloon float is cut, lifting his chair and floating him up into the air as he shouts Proctor's name. Cast The Police Force *Matt McCoy as Sgt. Nick Lassard *Michael Winslow as Sgt Larvell Jones *David Graf as Sgt Eugene Tackleberry *Bubba Smith as Lt. Moses Hightower *Marion Ramsey as Sgt Laverne Hooks *Leslie Easterbrook as Lt. Debbie Callahan *George Gaynes as Cmdt. Eric Lassard *G. W. Bailey as Capt. Thaddeus Harris *Lance Kinsey as Lt. Proctor *George R. Robertson as Commissioner Henry Hurst *Bruce Mahler as Sgt. Douglas Fackler Antagonists *Kenneth Mars as Mayor/Mastermind Others *Gerrit Graham as Ace *Brian Seeman as Flash *Darwyn Swalve as Ox *Allison Mack as Little Girl *Arthur Batanides as Mr. Kirkland Landmarks Some of the landmarks and people in the film reference the city of Toronto, the city where most of the first 4 Police Academy movies were filmed: The police station is called Oakdale Police Station, referencing the Oakdale area of Toronto which a small area between the western intersections of Highway 400 and Finch Avenue, extending to just south of Sheppard Avenue, and east just past Jane Street. This is often referred to as part of the Downsview area of Toronto.2 The criminal organization behind the crime wave in the city is called the Wilson Heights Gang, a reference to Wilson Heights Boulevard, a street in the Downsview area. The specific area itself is called Wilson Heights. Production The movie was filmed entirely in Los Angeles, California. Reception The DVD/Video Guide by Mick Martin & Marsha Porter gave the first two Police Academy films 2 stars out of 5; and each subsequent film received a Turkey (their lowest score.) Fellow critic/historian Leonard Maltin seemed to concur; he said this film was "...recommended only for people who thought PA#5 was robbed at the Oscars." The movie performed poorly at the US Box Office grossing $11 million and marking the decline of the Police Academy franchise. It also earned the designation of being the first Police Academy movie not to place first in the US weekend box office. The movie had a mostly negative response. Category:TV and Movies